Amateur Eccles Beats The Pros At Their Own Game

Victorian amateur Ben Eccles beat the pros at their own game to claim the 2015 NSW Open, securing the title in a week of challenging weather conditions at the Stonecutters Ridge course in western Sydney. 

Eccles opened the tournament with a blistering round of 64 and followed it up with rounds of 67 & 66 to grab an almost unassailable lead. 

He cruised to victory with a final-round even-par 72—his 19-under-par total enough to seal a three-shot victory from Rohan Blizard and Matthew Millar. Veteran Peter Lonard finished tied fourth at 15-under.

Western Australian Rick Kulacz was the last amateur to win the NSW Prior to Eccles. On the PGA Tour of Australasia Newcastle’s Jake Higginbottom made history in 2012 when he became the first amateur since 1956 to win the New Zealand Open.

British Born Eccles won the NSW Amateur Championship in 2013, joining a select list of players in the sport’s modern era who have won the NSW State Double.

HOLE	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Out	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	In	Total
Blue	295	153	486	125	322	332	352	375	368	2808	469	368	153	338	339	295	370	161	273	2766	5574
White-M	280	128	472	112	310	314	345	357	350	2678	454	349	135	327	328	286	352	143	262	2636	5314
White-W	280	138	443	112	310	314	318	357	350	2622	435	344	135	303	300	270	352	143	234	2516	5135
Red	295	153	451	125	322	332	325	375	368	2746	445	368	149	320	309	280	370	161	249	2651	5397
PAR-M	4	3	5	3	4	4	4	4	4	35	5	4	3	4	4	4	4	3	4	35	70
PAR-W	4	3	5	3	4	4	4	5	5	37	5	5	3	4	4	4	5	3	4	37	74